When was the last time you reflected on your own journey in your journal? And I don’t mean obsessed about where you are going next, but instead took a close look at where you are right now? I have a six-month-old grandson, Oliver, and to say that I’m obsessed with every inch of him would…
Category: Journalling
Savoring What You Have Today: A Garden of Gratitude
My favorite place to scribble in my journal is at my local botanical garden. Even though I visit regularly, there is always something new to see. I’m always amazed at how the ever-changing cycles of the natural world seem to reflect my own lived experience. Life is a lot like a garden. We plant seeds—of…
Write What You Like
A few Sundays ago, I spent an afternoon conducting an experiment. Instead of meeting at the usual garden setting to practice, I gathered with a group of women at an art gallery called Destination Art in Torrance, California. Our question was simple; can visual art inspire reflective journaling? After a creative conversation about the benefits…
Coming to My Senses: Using a Journal Practice to Sharpen Focus
In the animated movie, Soul, music teacher, Joe Gardner, is experiencing life after death without the benefit of a body. He recalls “The joys of life like…Pizza!” Then realizes that without his sensory body (his ability to see, taste, smell, hear, feel) he is unable to enjoy life as before. He’s just a numb bystander…
Beginner’s Mind: An ancient tool for today’s journaler?
Even though we may love new experiences, we generally resist the idea of being a beginner. It’s uncomfortable to be inexperienced. Human beings prefer knowing the answers to things. It makes us feel secure and safe. But this “know-it-all” bias also leads to a closed mind and a limited perspective. Beginner’s Mind opens to the…